Obtaining prints or impressions to be transferred onto a receptive medium



May 14, 1963 P. c. PICARD 3,089,459

. OBTAINING PRINTS OR IMPRESSIONS TO BE TRANSFERRED ONTO A RECEPTIVE MEDIUM Filed Aug. 5. 1960 F ""1 lo I I 2 \i l 2 T l I I I 5 l \L INVENTOR. PIERR'EQPICARD W%W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,089,459 p OBTAINING, PRINTS OR IMPRESSIONS TO BE TRANSFERRED ONTO A RECEPTIVE MEDIUM Pierre C. Pi'card, White Plains, N. assignor to Faurot, Inc., New York, N.Y. Filed Aug. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 47,807 6 Claims. (Cl. 118-315) This invention relates to a finger or foot print recorder. More particularly it relates to means or a device for imparting prints or impressions which are transferred onto a receptive medium. Specifically, the invention applies to disposable means for imparting impressions of fingers or of feet, particularly of newly born infants, to avoid confusion, and transfer such impressions on to a permanent recording medium.

Heretofor'e, it has been occasionally known that many infants when newly born in hospitals and maternity wards have sometimes been mixed, to the embarrassment and confusion of the parents and hospitals. Such mixups have been known to cause considerable disputes among the infants mothers and also with the hospital authorities. Oftentimes it has been decided to use necklaces or bracelets with identification means on newly born infants in order to make sure that there is no confusion. However, such procedures were not foolproof since such necklaces or bracelets would become misplaced or lost.

In accordance with the present invention, it is important that permanence of prints obtained of the feet, for example, of new born infants be made so that infants can be properly identified without any fear of confusion or error.

With this feature in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable device which will easily impart onto the infants fingers or toes of its feet, whether the right or the left, a print which is permanently recorded so that the newly born infant can be properly identified with respect to his parents.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a sterile, disposable unit or pad which can be readily used and then disposed of, after it has served its purpose.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a disposable unit which is in the form of a sandwich containing a base or strip which acts as a foundation and onto which is attached a thin pad containing impressionable material which will readily be taken up on pressing the toes of a foot or fingers of the infant, and an upper piece, hinged to the base, which can be readily moved or turned over so as to expose the impression yielding portion of the device for use.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a unit which has a fiat metal or impermeable base member, a pad of material attached to the base and which can readily be applied to the edge surface of hand or foot of a newly born infant, and an easily foldable cover portion which can be swung outwardly and underneath the foundation of the device to permit or facilitate the taking of the foot or the finger print, and which can be readily disposed of after its initial use.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent when the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional longitudinal view taken on line 2-2. of FIGURE 1, showing in exaggerated form the arrangement of the parts forming the embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective open view of the embodi- 3,089,459 Patented May 14, 1963 2" ment shown in FIGURE 1 with the inclusion of the outline of a foot to the printed.

Beforeproceeding with the description of the invention, it should-be noted'that in finger or foot printing the fingers or toes of the foot are printed by applying to the ridge surface of the fingers or toes an ink or inkless solution and then onto a paper adapted to receive the print, thereby producing an identifiable pattern.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, it will be noted that there is provided a disposable device, 10', comprising a base pad'11 of any suitable material. However, in the present instance, it has been found highly desirable to use a nonpermeable or impermeable material such as metal foil as a base so as to afford the proper protection of the print taking portion on a mid base against the absorption or capillary attraction of moisture.

On the inner face of said preferably stiff base pad 11 there is provided a wad or layer 12. of impression absorbing material. Said layer 12 is made of any suitable type of paper or cloth or pulp material adapted to retain certain chemicals, whether of ink or non coloring or inkless solution, which can readily be lifted in the form of a film, or impression when the foot or fingers are pressed thereon, such as shown in FIGURE 3. It is to be noted that when the foot or fingers are pressed against said layer 12, the chemicals therein are transferred in the form of a fine film to the ridges of the foot or fingers which are then pressed onto a receptive surface such as chemically treated paper to receive a clean impression thereby constituting a print of the skin outline of the foot or hands as the case may be.

In order to protect said layer of material 12 on the pad .11 from absorbing moisture and also from becoming soiled, there is provided an upper flexible strip or foil 13 which is attached to layer 12 at its end 1%, so said upper strip or foil 13 can be readily turned over about its attached end to expose the layer 12 which imparts the coating for impressions above described.

Furthermore, it will be noted that base 1 1 is provided with a marginal edge or band 15, extending on the sides of base 11 towards the lower end 16 of the base consisting of adhesive material whereby the upper piece 13 adheres to the same in order to prevent the absorption of any moisture or dust by the absorbing materials of layer 12.

Once the layer 12. has been exposed by moving the upper portion or lid 13 as shown in FIGURE 3, the pad is now ready to receive, for example, the foot of the newly born infant. The sole of the foot is pressed on layer 12 and is covered by the film of material contained in the layer. The foot is then pressed onto a receptor, not shown, that is, any specially chemically treated surface or paper which reacts with the chemicals in the film layer of the foot or toes thereby forming a visible impression or print on the receptor. Such paper is then properly classified for purposes of identification and reference of the infant whose finger or toe prints are taken.

Once the device 10 has served its purpose, it is then disposed of by throwing same away, since to reuse the same may cause spread of germs or constitute an un sanitary use of the device and subject the infants to possible infection.

From the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawings, it will be noted that I provide a disposable unit or device which leaves a film on a babys foot and/or toes or fingers which can be readily transferred onto a suitable receptive medium leaving a visible impression to be properly classified and used as a check against possible mixup of unidentified infants. This print is then filed away to be used for future reference.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been described and illustrated, it is to be noted that changes as to form, use of materials, and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A disposable unit for imparting a print to be transferred onto a receptive medium comprising a metallic, stiff sheet forming an impermeable base, a layer superimposed on said sheet containing an absorbable material adapted upon contact therewith to impart a film transferable onto a receptive surface forming an outline of the contact with the layer a and flexible, metallic means superimposed onto the sheet forming a seal for the layer.

2. A disposable device for obtaining impressions to be transferred onto a receptive medium comprising a layer of impervious material, said material being relatively stiff, a relatively flexible layer of impervious material overlaying said first layer and fixed thereto at one end, said second layer being adhered to the first layer along its longitudinal marginal edges, and of shorter length, and an intermediate fluid absorbing layer fixed to the first layer, said intermediate layer being adapted to impart a film onto a surface coming into contact therewith for subsequent transfer onto a receptor for forming a visible impression of the resultantly transferred film.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the outer layers are sealed and is impervious to moisture.

4. A device according to claim 2 wherein the face of the layer forming the base has an adhesive adjacent the outline of the layer whereby the flexible cover is adhered to the base to prevent absorption of moisture and dust by the intermediate layer.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the layer contains an inkless material adapted on pressing thereon with the finger or foot to impart a film on said finger or foot for subsequent transfer.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein the outer layers are of metal foil one part of which is stiif and the other is flexible, said latter part being hermetically sealed at one end to the stiff base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A DISPOSABLE UNIT FOR IMPARTING A PRINT TO BE TRANSFERRED ONTO A RECEPTIVE MEDIUM COMPRISING A METALLIC, STIFF SHEET FORMING AN IMPERMEABLE BASE, A LAYER SUPERIMPOSED ON SAID SHEET CONTAINING AN ABSORBABLE MATERIAL ADAPTED UPON CONTACT THEREWITH TO IMPART A FILM TRANSFERABLE ONTO A RECEPTIVE SURFACE FORMING AN OUTLINE OF THE CONTACT WITH THE LAYER A AND FLEXIBLE, METALLIC MEANS SUPERIMPOSED ONTO THE SHEET FORMING A SEAL FOR THE LAYER. 